


Tripping Forward

by idyll



Series: Parkour [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-19
Updated: 2008-05-19
Packaged: 2017-10-07 10:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idyll/pseuds/idyll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John thinks Ronon's lessons suck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tripping Forward

**Author's Note:**

  * For [poisontaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisontaster/gifts).



John realizes it's a bad idea even before he asks, but he asks anyway and then actually meets Ronon in the depths of the city anyway because, well, sometimes he's just stupid.

Ronon points to a thick pole extending up from the floor and all the way to the base of the city's structure. "Let's start there."

"I don't know about this," John says, finally realizing that he might have made a really stupid choice.

But Ronon doesn't let him out of it and instead herds John to the pole and demonstrates what he calls "a basic move." John watches him climb the pole upside down using just his hands, then dismount in a move that would put a stripper to shame, and sighs. He's having flashbacks to that Satedan "game" Ronon conned him into playing.

"Basic. Right."

John manages to hold himself upside down on the pole with his arms for five point three seconds before his arms give out and he tumbles to the floor at Ronon's feet in a graceless pile of limbs.

Ronon stares down at him and grunts. "Again."

"Look, this seems kind of...advanced. Do you have anything simpler we could start off with?"

Ronon's look implies that John is a weak and pathetic being at whom he's only barely managing not to laugh. John flips him off and refuses to move from the floor while Ronon's still pointing at the pole.

"Fine," Ronon eventually huffs. "This way."

Around a corner there's a bit of structural components that resemble a scaffold without the platforms. Well, normally. Right now there are a half dozen square-foot platforms attached to the latticework. They look like they're made of the same metal/plastic combination that most of Atlantis is made from.

John stares at them dubiously. "Are those sound?"

"Sure."

Ronon demonstrates what are, this time, actually basic moves using the first three levels of scaffold and platforms. He launches himself from one to another, using the scaffold to pivot and change direction. It's about movement and balance and it's nothing too difficult so John attempts it. His movements lack any sort of polish at first, but by the time he hits the fourth level he feels like he has a rhythm. He grins and is almost starting to think this wasn't such a bad idea when the platform on the fifth level gives out under him.

He scrapes his shin on the platform and slams his shoulder against the scaffold, but manages to catch himself on a platform on the third level. He hangs by his fingertips for a moment before hauling himself into it. He slumps there, panting. "You said they'd hold!" he calls down to a blank faced Ronon.

"First lesson: always have a contingency maneuver ready in case something like this happens."

If John had anything at all on him that could be thrown, he'd be aiming for Ronon's head. "Your lessons suck."

Ronon is entirely unperturbed. "Come down and start again."

John falls twice more on the fifth level and manages to jam two of his fingers, jar his knee three separate times, and slam his elbow into a wall he shouldn't have been anywhere near. But he makes it to the top on his fourth try, and looks down at Ronon smugly.

Ronon just arches a brow. "Come down." John starts to awkwardly clamber down but Ronon's voice stops him. "No, not like that. Like this." While John watches, Ronon hauls himself to the third level again and then descends with as much agility and grace as he ascended.

John's sweating, throbbing, panting and swollen and is just barely managing to keep his legs under him. He's athletic and has a pretty impressive stamina, but he's not used to this type of motion and he's feeling it. Hard.

He should just call it off, make his awkward way to the bottom and go on his way. But Ronon's just waiting for that, John knows it, so he nods and says, "Okay, right, sure. No problem."

It turns out that going down is actually harder than going up, mainly because it takes more muscle and focus to not only control the descent but to deal with the pull and momentum of, you know, gravity. John swings himself into two poles and one platform before he's gotten down three levels, and halfway down the next level something goes horribly wrong and he loses his grip at the worst possible moment, sending himself flying in the worst possible direction.

He's completely out of control and even though he sees what's going to happen--sees the railing two levels below and knows his legs are going to come down on either side of it--there's absolutely nothing he can do.

John lands and is so overwhelmed by the pain that he can't even make a coherent sound, just exhales raggedly and starts praying for death.

Ronon is at his side, hanging comfortably from the scaffold and looking concerned and sympathetic. "Sheppard?"

"I think I'm done," John wheezes out.

Ronon hooks an arm under John's ribs, hauls him off the railing, then holds him steady as he descends to the ground. He sets John on his feet and braces him as he leads them to the exit.

"Infirmary," Ronon says, and John doesn't even complain.

"Seriously, your lessons suck."

.End


End file.
